Rebound spring



Aug. 8, 1939- C. E. CAI-:STECKER 68,558

REBOUND SPRING Filed June 27, 1938 Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE REBOUND SPRINGV Charles E. Caestecker, Chicago, Ill. VApplication June 27, 1988, seriafNo. 218,009

9 Claims.

" This invention relates to rebound or deflecting spring devices of the type that are especially adapted andj suitable for use in connection with certain types of amusement game devices, such as so-called pin games, wherein a projectile, such as a ball, is caused to be impelled or to travel over the surface of a playing field. Such rebound devices usually are resilient in character, and are positioned so as to be encountered by the projectiles or balls for causing them to rebound back in the same general direction, or to be deiiected in av different'path or direction of travel.

` The general Vconsensus of opinion with respect to amusement games is that a successful game must provi-de action for creating, stimulating and maintaining interest of the players. Hence, rebound or deflectingdevices have been widely used in'amusement games, such as pin games, `for `increa'singth'e action'v or movements of the projectile as it traverses the playing field of the game. It will be apparent that in games employing such devic'es,'the element of chance in causing the projectile topursue a certain or desired path of travel is quitevariable;v in some instances, such devices m'ay tend to augment, while in others reduce,`the chance that'the projectile will move in aldefinite path. f

It is recognized that a wide Variety of rebound or deflecting devices have hitherto been employed. The present invention, however, is directed to a novel andlimproved form of device wherein the degreey of resiliency of the impact surface is substantially uniform, Another feature of my present construction resides inthe fact that the tempered spring stock employed is relatively lightweightgand i'sl adequately anduniquely braced by aA resilient tie in a manner so as to impose a convex curvaturey to the major portion of the impact surface. l l

f Other features and advantages of the present invention willappear in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1' isa front elevational view of the re` bound `spring device, embodying the present invention. f i

Figurev 2 is a top plan view of the device. ':Figure '.3'is a transverse vertical section taken substantially. as indicated at line 3-3 on Figure 2. :ifFigure 4 is a'staggered vertical section through the device, taken substantially as indicated at line ll-4 on Figure-2.`

As is well known` in the art, devices of the general type including the present invention are usuallymcuntedon a horizontally disposed playing eld of the game; preferably, the playing field is disposed at a slight angle to horizontal, so that the projectiles or balls projected on the playing field may, by the action of gravity, travel from the upper end of the ii'eld toward the lower end. 5

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the rebound spring device includes an upright support or post, I,the lower end of which is formed with a splined periphery, I I, for a drive lit in an aper ture, I2, of a playing field, designated at lil, which field may be made of wood or any other suitable material. The upper end of the support is formed withla'n annular groove, I5, to form a seat and provi-de anchorage for the resilient impact body designated generally at I6. l

The resilient impact body is composed of an elongated, resilient impact element, Il', formed of relatively thin, flat, tempered spring metal, con nected to and supported by an elongated tie member, I8, which is also formed of light-weight spring metal; the two pieces, I'I and IB, being disposed in the same horizontal planes, The tie member, I8, is rigidly connected at its ends, by means of eyelet-rivets, I9, to the outer portions of the impact element, Il, in amanner so as to imn pose a convex `curvature on the portion of said impact element, intermediate the connections to the tie member, I8. The tie member, I8, intermediate its length, preferably centrally, is mounted in 4the annular groove, I5, of the support, to which it is rigidly and permanently attached by upsetting or peening over of the material above and below said groove, as indicated at 2l, and as may be seen in Figure 3. By virtue of such connections, vthe impact element, Il, is disposed in spaced-apartrelation to the support, I0, in a direction transversely of the .length of the element, with portions of said element projecting beyond said support in opposite directions. The ends of -the impact element, Il, beyond the rivet connections to the. tie member, continue into rearwardly-extending, spirally curved portions, 22as seen in Figure 2.

By virtue of the construction disclosed, the resiliency of the entire impact surface of the impact element, I1, is .relatively uniform; and substantially `equivalent resiliency is also present in the spiral formations, 22, at the ends of said element. Furthermore, the relatively lightweight material employed imparts a soft or lazy action-to the projectile or ball, which provides greater Vplayer appeal as compared to prior devices, which` usually imparted a rapid rebound action to the :projectile or ball. The spiral end portions, 22, alsoprovide. av proper rebound surface for a ball or projectile, which might, due to having been previously deflected by a device, be traveling in a direction opposite to the normal direction of travel.

Although I have herein disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, manifestly it is capable of modification and rearrangement Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I do not, therefore, Wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise embodiment herein disclosed, except as it may be so limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A device of the class described, comprising an upright support adapted to be mounted in upright position on the playing field of a pin ball game, and a laterally extending impact member carried by the support and comprising an elongated, resilient impact element disposed in spaced-apart relation to the support in a direction transversely with respect to the length of said element, and projecting beyond the support in opposite directions, and an elongated tie member rigidly connected intermediate its length to said support and having its outer extremities rigidly attached to opposite portions of the elongated impact element, for supporting said resilient impact element substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the playing eld.

2. A device of the class described, comprising an upright support adapted to be mounted in upright position on the playing eld of a pin ball game, and a laterally extending impact member carried by the support and comprising an elongated, resilient impact element disposed in spaced-apart relation to the support in a direction transversely with respect to the length of said element and projectin-g beyond the support in opposite directions, and an elongated tie member rigidly connected intermediate its length to said support and having its outer extremities rigidly attached to opposite portions of the elongated impact element in a manner to impose a convex curvature on the portion of the resilient element intermediate the points of attachment with the tie member, said tie member serving to support said resilient impact element substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the playing field.

3. A device of the class described, comprising an upright support adapted to be mounted in upright position on the playing field of a pin ball game, and a laterally extending impact member carried by the support and comprising an elongated, resilient impact element disposed in spaced-apart relation to the support in a direction transversely with respect to the length of said element and projecting beyond the support in opposite directions, and an elongated tie member of relatively exible material rigidly connected intermediate its length to said support and having its outer extremities rigidly attached to opposite portions of the elongated impact element, for supporting said resilient impact element substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the playing eld.

4. A device of the class described, comprising an upright support adapted to be mounted in upright position on the playing eld of a pin ball game, and a laterally extending impact member carried by the support and comprising an elongated, Vresilient impact element disposed in spaced-apart relation to the support in a direction transversely with respect to the length of said element and projecting beyond the support in opposite directions, and an elongated tie member of relatively flexible material rigidly connected intermediate its length to said support and having its outer extremities rigidly attached to opposite portions of the elongated impact ele-I ment in a manner to impose a convex curvature on the portion of the resilient element intermediate the points of attachment with the tie member, said tie member serving to support said resilient impact element substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the playing eld.

5. A device of the class described, comprising an upright support adapted to be mounted in upright position on the playing field of a pin ball game, and a laterally extending impact member carried by the support and comprising an elongated, resilient impact element disposed in spaced-apart relation to the support in a direction transversely with respect to the length of said element and projecting beyond the support in opposite directions, and an elongated tie member rigidly connected intermediate its length to said support and having its outer extremities rigidly attached to opposite portions of the elongated impact element for supporting said resilient impact element substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the playing leld, one end of said impact element, beyond the connection to the tie member, continuing into a rearwardly extending curved portion of more than 90 degrees angular extent.

6. A device of the class described, comprising an upright support adapted to be mounted in upright position on the playing eld of a pin ball game, and a laterally extending impact member carrier by the support and comprising an elongated, resilient impact element disposed in spaced-apart relation to the support in a direction transversely with respect to the length of said element and projecting beyond the support in opposite directions, and an elongated tie member rigidly connected intermediate its length to said support and having its outer extremities rigidly attached to opposite portions of the elongated impact element in a manner to impose a convex curvature on the portion of the resilient element intermediate the points of attachment with the tie member, said tie member serving to support said resilient impact element substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the playing field, one end of said impact element, beyond the connection to the tie member, continuing into a rearwardly extending curved portion of more than 90 degrees angular extent.

7. A device of the class described, comprising an upright support adapted to be mounted in upright position on the playing eld of a pin ball game, and a laterally extending impact member carried by the support and comprising an elongated, resilient impact element disposed in spaced-apart relation to the support in a direction transversely With respect to the length of said element and projecting beyond the support in opposite directions, and an elongated tie member rigidly connected intermediate its length to said support and having its outer extremities rigidily attached to opposite portions` pf the( elongated impact element, for supporting said resilient impact element substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the playing eld, each end of said impact element, beyond the connection to the tie member, continuing into a rearwardly disposed spiral.

8. A device of the class described, comprising an upright support adapted to be mounted in upright position on the playing eld of a pin ball game, and a 4laterally extending impact member carried by the support and comprising an elongated, resilient impact element disposed in spaced-apart relation to the support in a direction transversely with respect to the length of said element and projecting beyond the support in opposite directions, and an elongated tie member rigidly connected intermediate its length to said support and having its outer extremities rigidly attached to opposite portions of the elongated impact element in a manner to impose a convex curvature on the portion of the resilient element intermediate the points of attachment with the tie member, said tie member serving to support said resilient impact element substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the playing field, each end of said impact element, beyond the connection to the tie member, continuing into a rearwardly disposed spiral.

9. A device of the class described, comprising an upright support adapted to be mounted in upright position on the playing eld of a pin ball game, and a laterally extending impact member carried by the support and comprising an elongated, resilient impact element disposed in spaced-apart relation to the support in a direction `transversely with respect to the length of said element and projecting beyond the support in opposite directions, and an elongated tie member of relatively ilexible material rigidly connected intermediate its length to said support and having its outer extremities rigidly attached to' opposite portions of the elongated impact element in a manner to impose a convex curvature on the portion of the resilient element intermediate the pointsof attachment with the tie member, said tie member serving to support said resilient impact element substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the playing field, the outer ends of said impact element, beyond the connections to the tie member, continuing into rearwardly extending curved portions.

CHARLES E. CAESTECKER. 

